The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1887-08-18
way ronNADoEs SPARE LARGE CITIES.

few wears ago an expert employed
by the United States Signal Service de-
ciarcd that there was no conceivable rea-
son why tornado should spare q large
CITY. He even went so far as TO say that
it was possible that funnel-shaped
cloud would one day strike New York,
wrecking the city and twisting the great
Brooklyn bridge into corkscreW. Inc
Chicago Inter. Ocean takes O different
view~starting out with the assumption
that the immunity enjoyed by largo cities
in the past is solid ground for the bellef
that there is no danger to be apprehend-
ed. 1t is, nevertheless, admitted that
whirling act'ial shaft having diameter
Of 1000 feet, and moving at the rate OF
800 miles an hour would crush the most
substantial buildings like SO many egg
shells. The Inter. Ocean says:
"Ehe reason is very plain, and may be
easily understood, even by people un-
versSd in scientific lore. The tornado at
thc outset is simple, whirling shaft of
uir, caused, as wo believe, by the wind
currents from nearly opposite directions,
of unequal temperature and different
degrees of humidity. When it is fairly
started on its course it generates i'm
mcnsc quantities of electric fluid. In
act it becomes a swiftly moving dynamo,
generating enough electricity to make
It luminous, and leaving evidence of the
burning fluid in its pathway. 1t is the
theory of some who have written on the
subject that the tornado is primarily
caused by electric action, but this We
think is an error. The mistake is in
placing tho effect for the cause. But it
is certain that after it's inception olectri-
city is generated, and that tho subtle
iiujd becomes one Of the most important
factors Of its destructive force.
"Passing over the country, the tornado
| follows tho general trend of the larger
cyclOnic storm, or area of low pressure.
1t Obcys the natural law Of all bodies in
motion, moving in tho direction of the
least resistance. n mountain, or othel
| considerable elevation of land, will break
it up or turn it aside. A city like Chi
cugo presents an obstacle sufficient tc
repel the electrified metcorite and turr
it to right OF left. The city bristlcs witt
rods and spires, and is covered by q net
ting OF electric wires. These, together
with the vast aggregation Of metallic struc
turcS, disarm thunder clouds of thei
destructive force, and at the same time
evidently tend to repol the moro highly
electrified tornado. 1t is well known
that death or damage by lightning is Of
very rare occurrence in tho centre of any
considerable city. The bolts may strike
i'll the suburbs, but if they descend in
the city they are arrested by much moro
swiitncss and certainty than depredato1
is caught by 'thc best"
However consoling all this may be to
the dwcllcrs in large cities, and however
strong the temptation to swallow the
theory whole, there still remains n very
interesting qucstion-how large must O
city be to turn aside wcll-devolopcd
tornado?
One thing, at least, seems to be cstab
lisncd. In tho smaller towns it has beer
found that buildings constructed of sole
masonry and good brick, put together il
Workmauliko manner, resisted tho
force OF tho most violent storms. Coco
buildings, therefore, afford some protec
ton. The fact that no structure will re
8ist column of air whirling along at tn,
rate Of 500 miles all hour should no
deter people from building their house
III proper manner. a tornado tina
will destroy well-built house is no mor
among the probabilities in this latitud
than Is destructive earthquake.